Technical Field
This disclosure relates to an image combining apparatus and image combining method as well as a non-transitory computer readable medium for storing an image combining program.
Description of the Related Art
Image combining systems that have been realized so far enable a user to generate a desired composite image by pasting an image of interest onto a template as in the manner of a postcard, electronic album or photo book. For example, there is a technique through which the tint of an album mount is adjusted in accordance with the tint of an image of interest to thereby obtain a sense of harmony between the tints of the image of interest and album mount (Patent Document 1), as well as a system in which a keyword expressing a feeling or sensation is set in conformity with a registered image and the corresponding image processing is executed (Patent Document 2). Further, there is a method of evaluating design-image information, namely a method of evaluating the impression given to a human being by media which provide product information (Patent Document 3).
Furthermore, there is a technique whereby a decorative image template, which includes an internal frame area the color of which can be changed and an external frame area placed outside the internal frame area, is added to an image of interest (Patent Document 4), a technique for analyzing face information and extracting a template image from the face information analyzed (Patent Document 5), and a system in which image-quality adjustment processing, which is applied to an image of interest in accordance with the image type of a frame, is decided (Patent Document 6).
Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-81208.
Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 4090926.
Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent No. 4978043.
Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent No. 4211560.
Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-244226.
Patent Document 6: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-31855.
However, there are instances where results in conformity with user preference are not necessarily obtained when the tint of an album mount is adjusted in accordance with the tint of an image of interest as described in Patent Document 1 or when image processing corresponding to a sensation-expressing keyword conforming to a registered image is executed as described in Patent Document 2. Further, according to the description rendered in Patent Document 3, since this technique is for evaluating an impression, a composite image in agreement with user preference cannot be obtained. Furthermore, in a case where an image can only be applied to a decorative image template that includes an internal frame and an external frame, as described in Patent Document 4, it is not possible to deal with a case where the user prefers a template other than such a template. In a case where a template image is extracted from a face image, as set forth in Patent Document 5, a template image cannot be extracted if the image of interest does not contain a face image. Furthermore, in a system in which image-quality adjustment processing, which is applied to an image of interest in accordance with the image type of a frame, is decided as set forth in Patent Document 6, it is difficult to find a desired frame from among many frames.